Most UK shops put a new Pokemon set on pre-order soon after The Pokemon Company announces it. Delta Reign was announced 78 days before release.
UK shops open Pokemon pre-orders once The Pokemon Company has announced a set and its release date, and how far ahead that is depends on the shop. Magic Madhouse says it is usually 4 to 8 weeks before release. Infinity Collectables says it typically opens pre-orders three months out. For the next English set, Delta Reign, the gap between the announcement and release day is 78 days: Pokemon announced it on 20 August 2026 for release on 6 November 2026. What you pay, and when your order ships, also varies by shop.
It depends on the shop, and the ones that say anything give different figures. These are their own words, read on 22 September 2026.
| Shop | When pre-orders open | When it ships |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Madhouse | "as soon as The Pokémon Company announces the set's product line-up and UK release date", usually 4 to 8 weeks before release | On launch day |
| Infinity Collectables | "We typically open pre-orders three months before release" | "the same day stock arrives" |
| Zatu | Not stated | Aims to arrive on release day, or within 5 working days if the supplier is late |
| Chaos Cards | Not stated | Sent to its warehouse the day before release, for products with a strict release date |
The two figures do not really disagree. Both shops wait for the announcement, because until then nobody knows the UK date or the product list. Magic Madhouse's pre-order page ties its opening to that announcement. Infinity Collectables' release calendar gives the longer figure. The Magic Madhouse page was last dated May 2026, so treat its window as a habit, not a promise.
From 20 August 2026 at the earliest. That is the day The Pokemon Company's press release said Mega Evolution Delta Reign would be at participating retailers from 6 November 2026, in booster packs, Elite Trainer Boxes and other collections. That leaves 78 days, which is longer than Magic Madhouse's 4 to 8 weeks and a little short of Infinity Collectables' three months. Our Delta Reign page lists the UK products and the distributor's RRPs, and the Pokemon release calendar has every set with a UK date.
At most UK hobby shops, yes. Total Cards takes "instant payment at the checkout", except for Klarna, which it only invoices once the order ships. Zatu's FAQ says payment is taken when you place the order, and Magic Madhouse says "You'll pay at checkout". If the price then falls before release, Zatu's Pre-Order Price-Drop Guarantee gives you a discount code worth the difference, on items marked with it.
Usually not. Total Cards says that if an order has in-stock and pre-order items, "we will keep your available items safe with us until everything is ready to dispatch", and suggests separate orders if you cannot wait. Chaos Cards' pre-order page says the same: orders with pre-order items are "only picked and dispatched once all of the items in the order are in stock". The upside is that what you ordered is held for you. Chaos Cards says items you are waiting on "won't be re-sold".
Because a shop can only pre-sell what it expects to receive, and the popular products are limited. Infinity Collectables says that "If a set is hot, we cap quantities per customer to keep it fair", and Magic Madhouse sells its pre-orders on the promise of a "guaranteed allocation" of Elite Trainer Boxes, Booster Bundles and Booster Boxes. Once a shop's allocation is spoken for, the listing goes to sold out. A shop that opened later, or that gets more stock, may still have some. Our guide on why Pokemon cards look sold out everywhere goes into that.
Watch for the announcement
Pre-orders follow The Pokemon Company's announcement of the set and its date. The release calendar lists every set once it has a UK date.
Pick two or three shops
Shops open at different times after an announcement, from about a month to three months before release. Choose shops whose policies you have read.
Put a monitor on each shop's Pokemon page
A new-product alert tells you when the pre-order listing appears, so you are not checking by hand for weeks.
Order the pre-order on its own
Keep it apart from in-stock items, or the whole order waits for release day.
If it sells out, watch the product page
A sold-out pre-order can come back when a shop gets more stock. A restock monitor on that page tells you when it does.
Yes. If the shop runs on Shopify, as Infinity Collectables does (it has a Pokemon TCG collection and a pre-order collection), a Shopify monitor on a shop's Pokemon collection sends a new product alert when a pre-order listing appears there, and it is on every plan, including Free. For a shop on anything else, paste its pre-order or Pokemon page into a universal monitor. Our UK restock tracker guide covers watching for stock once the set is out.
After The Pokemon Company announces the set and its UK release date. Magic Madhouse says that is usually 4 to 8 weeks before release, and Infinity Collectables says it typically opens pre-orders three months before.
Not before 20 August 2026, when The Pokemon Company announced it for release on 6 November 2026. Shops opened pre-orders after that announcement.
At most UK hobby shops, yes. Total Cards and Zatu take payment at checkout, and Magic Madhouse says you pay at checkout. Total Cards only invoices Klarna orders when they ship.
Usually. Total Cards and Chaos Cards both hold an order until every item in it is in stock, so order pre-orders separately if you want the rest sooner.
That is the aim at most shops. Magic Madhouse ships on launch day, Infinity Collectables ships the day stock arrives, and Zatu aims for release day or within 5 working days if its supplier is late.
Get told when pre-orders open Five monitors free, checked every 60 seconds. Alerts to email, Discord or Telegram.